Florida Panthers shopping for a goal-scorer

The clock is ticking on a potential trade to bring scoring help to the Panthers’ comatose offense.

Coach Pete DeBoer hinted that something could be in the works after Thursday’s morning skate.

“I know [GM Randy Sexton] is hard at work working the phones trying to make our team better,” DeBoer said. ” I don’t have any predictions on whether or not we’re going to make a deal or [are] close to a deal. I’m concentrating on Vancouver and Boston, and hopefully going into the break a little closer to the playoff spot than we are today.”

With slumping Florida mired in 12th place in the Eastern Conference before Thursday’s game against the Canucks and six points behind Philadelphia and Tampa Bay — who are tied for seventh — it appears Sexton and DeBoer still consider the Panthers buyers rather than sellers before the March 3 trading deadline.

However, a 10-day trading freeze will begin at 3 p.m. Friday, tied to the upcoming Olympic break.

Players with no-trade clauses are defensemen Keith Ballard and Bryan McCabe, as well as goaltender Tomas Vokoun.